Cradle.



J. CLIFF.

CRADLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1910.

' Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wmme'y v r I am d 2 J. CLIFF.

CRADLE.

APPLIOATION FILED IAN.10, 1910.

Patented Apf. 5, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ANDREW 5. GRAHAM (:0. PM)

CRADLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Application filed January 10, 1910. Serial No. 537,327.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH CLIFF, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kane, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cradles, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements incradles, and more particularly to a swinging collapsible cradle which isadapted to be suspended from the ceiling and may be quickly arranged inoperative position or knocked down and compactly folded.

A further object is to provide a cradle of the above charactercomprising a plurality of separable sections held in their associatedrelative positions by means of suspending ropes passing through alinedopenings in the extremities thereof, and a still further object residesin the provision of suitable means whereby the cradle may be raised orlowered from the floor.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction and the combination and i11 rangement ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved cradle showing the same arranged in operative form andsuspended from the ceiling; Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof; Fig.3 is a top plan view of the cradle knocked down or folded; and Fig. 4 isa detail perspective view of one of the end members.

Referring to the drawings 5 indicates the two outwardly inclined sidemembers each of which comprises the spaced parallel bars 6 connectedtogether and spaced apart by means of the vertical cylindrical posts 7The bottom 8 likewise comprises two parallel bars 9 which are connectedtogether and spaced apart by a plurality of transverse slats 10 rigidlysecured thereto in any preferred manner. The opposite end members 11 ofthe cradle likewise comprise the parallel bars 12, said bars beingspaced apart by means of the vertical posts 13 arranged and securedtherebetween. The upper bar of these end members is of greater lengththan the lower bar and extends beyond the opposite ends of said bar. Theextremities of the bars 12 are adapted to be disposed beneath and belowthe upper and lower parallel bars 6 of the longitudinal side members,said lower bar 12 thus being positioned between the longitudinal bars 9of the bot tom member and the lower longitudinal bars of said sidemembers.

An opening 14 is provided in each of the extremities of each of theparallel bars of the side, end and bottom members of the cradle. lVhenthe various members are arranged in their assembled positions, theseopenings register with each other and a sus pending cord or rope 15 ispassed through the openings 14, one end of each of said ropes being tiedor otherwise secured to the rope between its ends, as shown at 16. Theremaining end portion of the rope is passed through an aperture in oneend of the adjusting pin 17, and the extremity of the rope is insertedthrough a similar aperture in the opposite end of said pin and knottedor otherwise prevented from removal therefrom. That portion of each ofthe ropes beyond the secured end 16 thereof, is thus doubled upon itselfand is adapted to be passed over a hook secured in the ceiling wherebythe cradle may be suspended for swinging movement above the floor. Theadjusting pins 17 are moved upwardly and downwardly upon the rope toposition the cradle at any desired height above the floor, said pinsbeing adapted to twist the ropes and bind the same against the edges ofthe opening in the end thereof through which the rope moves owing to theweight of the cradle and its occupant. These pins are of a well knownform and comprise no part of my present invention and it will beunderstood that any other means maybe employed for raising or loweringthe frame.

As shown in Fig. 1, the various members may be quickly arranged in theirproper positions by suspending the cradle from the ceiling in the mannerabove described, said members being drawn into their proper relativepositions, and requiring but little adjustment upon the part of theoperator. No bolts, screws or other fastening devices are used to securethe several members and the suspending ropes alone are depended upon toretain the collapsible sides and ends in their proper positions upon thebottom member. lVhen the cradle is no longer desired for use, however,the ropes may be released from the hooks, and as the cords 15 are recanleased of all strain, the longitudinal side members 5 will moveoutwardly away from folded inwardly upon the base member and the sidemembers 5 can then be disposed upon each other and upon the end members.The suspending cords may then be wrapped about the members when sofolded and the cradle thus compactly arranged for storage ortransportation purposes.

From the foregoing it is believed that the operation and many advantagesof my in vention will be apparent without requiring a furtherdescription. The cost of manufacture is extremely small and theconvenience and utility of the cradle constructed in the manner aboveset forth is obvious.

The cradle may be quickly set up or knocked down, and is adjustable toany clesired height.

The cradle will occupy but small space when arranged for use and owingto the fact that the same may be swung to and fro by the movement of theoccupant, it will require but little attention.

While I have above set forth what I be lieve to be the preferredembodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various minormodifications may be resorted to without materially departing from theessential features or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising separate parallel sideand end members and a bottom member, said members being collapsible uponeach other and means for suspending said members adapted to cause thesame to assume their relative open positions.

2. A device of the character described comprising parallel side and endmembers and a bottom member, said members being collapsible upon eachother and means movably "disposed through the ends of said members forelevating the same and cause the members to assume their relativeassembled open positions.

8. A device of the character described comprising a bottom member,vertical end members arranged thereon, side members disposed betweensaid end members and inclined outwardly, each of said members havingopenings in its extremities and suspending ropes extending through saidopenings and adapted to permit of the folding of said members upon eachother, said sus pending ropes causing the members to assume theirrelative assembled open positions when elevated.

4. A device of the character described comprising a bottom member formedof parallel bars connected by a plurality of transverse slats, verticalend members disposed upon the ends of said bottom member composed ofspaced parallel bars rigidly connected together, the upper bar extendingbeyond the ends of the lower bar, side members each formed of spacedparallel longitudinal bars rigidly connected together and disposed uponthe lower and upper bars of said end members, the extremities of each ofthe parallel bars of said members being provided with an opening, saidopenings being adapted to register with each other, suspending ropespassing through the openings in the ends of said bars adapted to retainthe members in their proper assembled relative position, said sidemembers being inclined outwardly away from each other and means foradjusting the height of the cradle above the floor, said end and sidemembers being adapted to be collapsed upon the bottom member when thestrain upon the suspending ropes is removed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JEREMIAH CLIFF.

Witnesses LENA OROURKE, LOUIS MEYERS.

